Liverpool fans should ‘be careful’ as Arne Slot actually better than Xabi Alonso for two reasons | OneFootball

Liverpool fans need to ‘be careful’ as Arne Slot is actually better than Xabi Alonso, while there is anger at Unai Emery to Real Madrid reports…

Also in this Saturday’s mailbox, there are more favourite XIs and alphabet XIs.

‘Be careful what you wish for’, Liverpool fans…

I can’t actually remember who said to which fan set ‘be careful what you wish for‘, but I’m gonna dredge it up one more time for all the Liverpool fans who want to replace Arne Slot with Xavi Alonso and then, of course, give the new coach all the new players that Slot currently needs to re balance the squad, only to find that actually the more cool headed and succesful coach was actually the Dutch one.

‘All’s well that ends well’? Xavi could prove otherwise.

New ‘swiss’ champions league malarkey is a bag o’sh*te , bring back the 4-team group stage that gives all the players a bit more rest over the mad winter fixture pile up.

Injuries are indeed a boring topic but their rise is ridiculous. Peter, Andalucia

Returned to former club players

To me, “Returned to Former Club” players are the most intriguing characters in football. There’s something uniquely compelling about seeing a hero go back to his roots, to the place he once called home, where the songs are familiar and the expectations already written.

It’s why I’ve been thinking about Cesc Fàbregas’ return to the Premier League. However, the fact that it wasn’t Arsenal but Chelsea was a plot twist strong enough to rival Memento. Not the romantic homecoming, but the kind where the prodigal son turns up at the neighbour’s house instead.

And the strangest part was that it felt like he’d never left. Same vision, same weight of pass, same ability to run games at a tempo nobody else quite sees.

Which makes me think the best returns aren’t about nostalgia at all. They’re about whether time actually changes anything. Sometimes it does – Henry at Arsenal was a beautiful cameo, a memory lap. But sometimes it doesn’t.

Sometimes you get Ronaldo at United, Drogba at Chelsea, or Fàbregas in blue, and you realise the player isn’t just revisiting the past – he’s picking up the story mid-sentence, as if the years in between were just an advert break.

Ps. I really enjoy the new “best XI” concept that has been circulating in recent mailboxes. Kudos to whoever initiated it (surprise: that was me). So, here’s another best IX using a 4-3-3 formation. To make it even more interesting, I’ll include the manager in charge.

GK – Gianluigi Buffon RB – Dani Alves CB _ Sergio Ramos CB – Franz Beckenbauer LB – Roberto Carlos DM – Sergio Busquets CM – Zinedine Zidane CM – Cesc Fàbregas RW – David Beckham ST – Pelé LW – Ronaldinho

Manager – Carlo Ancelotti Gaptoothfreak, Man. Utd., New York (That spine alone is filthy, bro)

A Villa fan unhappy at Emery to Real Madrid speculation

Can you just give this nonsense a rest you’re making a mountain out of a mole hill complete and utter speculation with no foundation whatsoever you can’t say that Unai Emery will leave Aston Villa, but you are just harping on spouting total rubbish about a subject that you obviously know nothing about.

Leave it out and believe it if and when you see an official club statement which in this case is very unlikely.

Just do us all a favour and leave it out. Stella

Why not give the lower leagues a try, says a ‘lifelong Chelsea fan

Despite being a lifelong fan of Chelsea, I have in recent seasons become a season ticket holder at Crawley Town. Was a little by accident. Good friend of mine moved down there and our sons are best friends, so we decided to go along as a way of them being able to keep in touch.

Fast forward 2 years and we still all go and we’ve watched most home games and even been away to watch the mighty CTFC.

For those who have no idea of Crawley. They only become a fully professional club in 2005 and gained promotion to the Football league in 2011. They were promoted from League 2 in 2024. We swiftly managed to sell all our best players and were (unsurprisingly) relegated. Cue this season. Its not been good tbh, and despite Scott Lindsey being a good coach who likes his sides to keep the ball, the results have been dreadful. Its amazing that a side who leads the League 2 possession stats with circa 60% on average, are fighting relegation and currently sit just 3 points off the bottom 2.

The run between Aug and Dec was seriously poor and it was obvious that the players (most of them) just aren’t at the level and are unable to play in the ‘Lindsey way’. There has been a lot of doom and gloom around Broadfield and we fans were expecting a tough end to season and hoping and praying for new signings.

well, our prayers were answered. and in a HUGE way. Unbelievably we have made 13 signings (Mixture of loans and permanent) with 3 of the Promotion winning 2024 side returning (Orsi, Lolas & Gordon). plus the returning ‘white Pele’ in Ronan Darcy. The board also identified others (Taylor Richards from QPR who looks a real player, and 2 new CB signings in Vassell and Adibayo). They made a very good loan signing of CM Louie Copley from Arsenal (young and can see he has levels – fantastic prospect – he may not end up as a Premier league player, but he has real quality), and just in past week the missing piece in Lindseys ‘total football’ jigsaw. A keeper who is comfortable with ball at his feet, with Jacob Chapman brought in on loan.

Suddenly the possession football Lindsey aspires too is working. He now has the technical players to enable this. We drew with Walsall on Tuesday night (0-0). Walsall are 5th and we battered them. 66% possession. 24 shots to their 8 and their keeper was (quite rightly) named MOM.

Not really sure the point of this. other than to say. Give the lower leagues a try. My lad and his mate (14 & 15) both absolutely love it. I am so glad we started going and I look forward to watching far more than I care for watching Chelsea. (still want Chelsea to win, but not that bothered about watching) and its bloody lovely knowing that 90% of games are Saturday 3pm kick offs. Proper Football time, that. Neil. here, there & everywhere.

Paddy G – in off the post is technically the most perfect finish from the scorer because it is the furthest away from the keeper and still goes in…

The only thing better is a ball that starts outside the post and then goes in off it. *chef’s kiss* perfection!

Another ‘Favourite XI’

Dear Ed,

Keeping with the recent favourite XI theme, I thought I’d pipe up with mine.

GK – Lionel Perez

French madman, once arrested in Sunderland for allegedly walking over a row of parked cars in the early hours of the morning whilst singing “It’s Been a Hard Day’s Night” at tremendous volume whilst blind drunk. My guy.

RB – Lilian Thuram

Made playing RB look cool, even with a girl’s name.

CB – Paul McGrath

You know why. And if you don’t, we can’t be friends.

CB – Darren Moore

Played in the actual, proper Premier League, despite the fact that anyone blessed with the gift of sight could very quickly see this guy couldn’t play actual, proper football. Fair f*cks, Darren. That’s some top blagging.

LB – Roberto Carlos

3rd June 1997, Stade de Gerland. We know it happened, but we still don’t know how.

CDM – Kevin Ball

He wasn’t particularly good, but you’ll need to tell him that because I like my kneecaps where nature intended.

CDM – Ruud Gullit

Not technically a stereotypical CDM, but I’m sure he’d soon pick up the basics from Kevin.

RW – Marc Overmars

If James Bond was Dutch, I imagine he would have looked like a prime Marc Overmars…… just maybe a bit taller. Seriously though, let’s have this right. Absolute Baller!

CAM – Gazza

Because, well. Gazza.

LW – Eden Hazard

He COULD do it on a cold, rainy night in Stoke. I know this because I was there and he was simply mesmerising.

ST – Kevin Phillips

All together now, “Super, Super Kev. Super, Super Kev. Super, Super Kev. Super Kevin Phillips”. Oh, and THAT goal v Chelsea at the SoL. Andy FTM (Sainsbury’s own Chunky Beef and Veg Soup beats Heinz Big Soup every day of the week)

And… more ‘Alphabet XIs’

Reading Mike, LFC, Dubai’s mail this morning inspired to write in for the first time in my 20+ years’ reading your fabled website.

My approach to alphabet XIs is to only include players from my team (Liverpool) who have played during my lifetime. You would think this to be an easy task, my life lasting more than 40 years thus far, however, there are surprisingly few U players and the P players are a motley crew. I’ve tried to use every letter from A-V to form two XIs, yet U evaded me as the last Liverpool player with a U surname was Dave Underwood in the 50s. As such, I’ve had to include Ronnie Whelan, which is actually a blessing when you see the L-W team’s midfield!

Both teams line up in a 4-3-2-1 for reasons I can’t explain:

A-K

Alisson – GK Barnes – RW Carragher – CB Dalglish – CAM Ekitike – LW Fowler – ST Gerrard – CM Hansen – CB Ince – CM Jones – RB Kennedy – LB

Wow. I love this team (except Ince, but he’d bring some steel at least). Ekitike on the left is a stretch but it would work.

The L-W team:

Lawrenson – CB Mané – LW Neal – LB Owen – CAM Poulsen – CM Quansah – RB Reina – GK Salah – RW Torres – ST Van Dijk – CB Whelan – CM

Christian Poulsen?! Quansah at right back? Owen at CAM? OK, so there are some strange picks here, bit I’mpushed for time. They would score bucket loads but that midfield looks shaky and I wouldn’t fancy Quansah to keep Sadio quiet for long. A convincing win for the AK team then.

I’d love to see what fellow Liverpool fans would do better, and what fans of other clubs feel their best Alphabet XIs would be.